Technique

Technique

waza, gi

Waza is a technique. Gijutsu is technique. Kowaza means a useful method. Some jobs or tasks done quickly are hayawaza.

Ginō means skill or technical skill. Gihō means technical methods.

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1. Draw the left-hand side of the character first. Draw the short horizontal stroke.
2. Draw the vertical stroke with an upward turn.
3. Draw the sweeping stroke heading rightward.
4. Begin to draw the right-hand side. Draw the horizontal stroke on the top.
5. Draw the vertical stroke crossing the previous stroke.
6. Draw the hook consisting of a horizontal stroke and a sweeping one.
7. Draw the sweeping stroke crossing the previous stroke.

Samurai

Samurai

shi

This character originally depicts a strong man. When I use “originally” like this, it always means when it came from China because kanji was brought from China to Japan. For some characters, we have Japanese original meanings. In Japanese, today’s character means samurai (a warrior) which is Japanese original. And it also means a talented person as in Chinese.

In the Edo era (1603-1867), Japan was a feudal society, in which people were divided into social classes called “shi nō kō shō.” The highest class was shi, that is, samurai.  The second class was farmers; the third, artisans; and the lowest, merchants. It did not indicate how wealthy people were. Most merchants were richer than farmers or artisans. This class system reflects Confucius ideas. People working for money were disdained. Practically, samurai was the ruling class and the other classed were the ruled.

We still use this character for some professions and degrees. Bachelors of Art is gakushi. Master of Art is shūshi. A doctor is hakase. A lawyer is bengoshi. A sumo wrestler is rikishi.

In other words, this character is used to express somebody’s title.

You cannot find some of the above characters in our archives. If you want to see them in Japanese, visit >>> here.

The upper horizontal stroke is longer than the lower one. Notice the difference between this character and tsuchi (soil).

Soil by Nao

Bridge

Bridge

hashi (bashi), kyō

We call a bridge “hashi.” The names of bridges end with “bashi,” a voiced sound of hashi. In the neighbor of Tokyo station alone, there are some places called “… bashi.” For example, Nihonbashi, Kyōbashi, and Shinbashi. These names suggest that there used to be bridges in ancient times. The bridge called Nihonbashi still exists but it is an artifact classified as Important Cultural Properties.

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1. First, draw the left-hand side of the character. Draw the horizontal stroke.
2. Draw the vertical stroke.
3. Draw the sweeping stroke from where the previous strokes cross.
4. Draw the dot hanging from the vertical stroke.
5. Begin to draw the right-hand side of the character. Draw the sweeping stroke on the top.
6. Draw the horizontal stroke.
7. Draw the sweeping stroke crossing the previous stroke.
8. Draw the other sweeping stroke.
9. Draw the left side of the upper rectangle.
10. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
11. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.
12. Draw the vertical stroke from near the center to the bottom.
13. Draw the hook with an upward turn.
14. Draw the left side of the lower rectangle.
15. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
16. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.

To Fly

To Fly

to-bu, hi

Who takes the action “tobu”? Birds and airplanes do. Tobu and “hikō suru” are almost the same. They are verbs meaning “to fly.” Hikō means flight. Hikōchū means on flight.

This may be bad news for those who suffer hay fever. Pollen also flies around (tobu).

Hiyaku has both good and bad meanings. In a good sense, it means jumping up to a higher place or stepping up dramatically. It implies some achievement or progress. In a bad sense, it is used when you criticize somebody’s logical leap, saying “hanashi ga hiyaku shiteiru.”

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1. The first stroke consists of the top horizontal stroke and a curve with an upward turn.
2. Draw the sweeping dot from the upper right corner.
3. Draw the dot under the previous stroke.
4. Draw the vertical stroke.
5. Draw the sweeping stroke under the top horizontal stroke.
6. Draw the longer sweeping stroke under the previous stroke.
7. Draw the other stroke consisting of a horizontal stroke and a curve with an upward turn.
8. Draw the sweeping stroke close to the previous curve.
9. Draw the dot under the previous stroke.

Colorful

Colorful

irodo-ru, irodori, sai

Imagine a monochrome scene, a monochrome dish etc. Adding even the slightest color to them, you can make them colorful. This is so-called adding irodori. Irodori often means added colors. It sounds more aesthetic than iro (color). The verb irodoru means that by adding colors or other characteristics, you make something look more attractive or interesting.

Shikisai means colors or tendencies. Having the same characters, saishoku means almost the same as irodori. With saishoku, you can mean “adding or putting colors.”

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1. Begin to draw the left-hand side of the character. Draw the sweeping stroke on the top.
2. Draw the dot to the left.
3. Draw the dot in the middle.
4. Draw the sweeping dot from the upper right.
5. Draw the horizontal stroke under dots.
6. Draw the vertical stroke.
7. Draw the sweeping stroke from the previous strokes intersect.
8. Draw the small dot like a hanging branch of the vertical stroke.
9. Begin to draw the right-hand side of the character. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top.
10. Draw the sweeping stroke in the middle.
11. Draw the sweeping stroke at the bottom.

Only Free of Charge

Only Free of Charge

tada

Nothing is more expensive than things that are available free of charge. To mean this, we say, “tada yori takai mono wa nai.” This saying tells us that if you get something for free, you must repay more than what you get. Repayment often costs more than you get.

Tada means free of charge.

Tada also means only.

Tadaima means “just now.” This word is used as a daily greeting. When we get home, we say, “tadaima,” meaning “I’m home.”

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1. Draw the left side of the rectangle.
2. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
3. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.
4. Draw the sweeping stroke.
5. Draw the elongated dot.

To Burn

To Burn

mo-eru, mo-yasu, mo-su, nen

We separate garbage into two types: flammable and inflammable. The former is called “moeru gomi”; the latter, “moenai gomi” or “funen gomi.” Garbage is gomi.

Talking about cars, we often compare nenpi, which means “fuel consumption.” It comes from the cost of fuel, that is, nenryō.

The verb “moyasu” means “to burn something.” With the verb “moeru,” you can express that something burns. With the verb “moeteiru,” you mean that something is burning.

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1. Start drawing the left-hand side of the character. Draw the dot to the left.
2. Draw the short sweeping dot.
3. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top to the lower left corner of the character.
4. Draw the dot touching the previous stroke.
5. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top.
6. Draw the hook. The first part is horizontal. The second part is parallel with the first stroke.
7. Draw the upper dot between the previous strokes.
8. Draw the dot below the previous stroke.
9. Begin to draw the upper right part of the character. Draw the horizontal stroke.
10. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top right.
11. Draw the sweeping stroke from where the previous strokes cross.
12. Draw the dot in the upper right corner of the character.
13. Begin to draw the four dots at the bottom from the left.
14. Draw the dot next to the previous dot.
15. Draw the dot next to the previous dot.
16. Draw the rightmost dot.

A Plate

A Plate

sara

Plates are expressed using this character. When we talk about dish plates casually, we call them osara. We have a variety of plates and trays. Today we’re going to categorize words including sara or zara, a voiced sound of sara, into three groups: “plates in a particular shape and size or from a particular material,” “plates for particular purposes” and “figurative use of Sara.”

Plates in a Particular Shape and Size or from a Particular Material

• A large plate or a platter… ōzara
• A small plate … kozara
• A square plate … kakuzara
• A wooden plate … kizara

Plates for Particular Purposes

• A saucer … ukezara (Literally it’s a plate to receive something.)
• A paper plate … kamizara
• A casserole or a baking dish … guratan zara (Guratan is gratin and it is written in katakana.)
• A dessert plate … kēki zara (Kēki means cake and it is written in katakana.) or furūtsu zara (Frūtsu means fruit and it’s written in katakana.)
• A soup plate … sūpu zara (Sūpu means soup and it’s written in katakana.)
• An ashtray … haizara
• A bread plate … pan zara (Pan means bread and it is written in katakana.)

Figurative Use of Sara

The above mentioned ukezara is often used as a metaphor for some systems or organizations taking over some functions or tasks.

Imagine somebody’s eyes looking like plates. They become wide open showing amazement. When you see somebody astonished, his eyes wide open, you can say, “me wo sara (noyou) ni shite odoroita.” If you want to see this phrase written in Japanese, visit >>> here.

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1. Draw the left side of the rectangle.
2. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
3. Draw the left vertical stroke in the rectangle.
4. Draw the right vertical stroke in the rectangle.
5. Draw the longest horizontal stroke at the bottom.

To Entrust

To Entrust

yuda-neru, i

This character depicts a drooping ear of rice or an obedient woman. Such a hieroglyphic depiction engendered meanings such as to entrust and to leave something to somebody else. However, this does not mean dependency.

Most words including this character are used in rather formal settings. The verb yudaneru means to entrust. When you do this action, you might be a governmental body who has other organizations or persons committed to an important task.

Today’s character also means details. For example, isai means details. You may find this word in official letters.

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1. Draw the sweeping stroke on the top.
2. Draw the horizontal stroke.
3. Draw the vertical stroke crossing the previous stroke.
4. Draw the sweeping stroke from where the previous strokes cross.
5. Draw the other sweeping stroke to the lower right.
6. Begin to draw the lower part. Draw the rotated chevron shape.
7. Draw the sweeping stroke heading toward the lower left.
8. Draw the horizontal stroke from the left to the right.

A Page

A Page

pēji

We read this character pēji but most of the time we write the word in katakana. It indicates the number of pages in a book or magazine. Unless you write Japanese academic essays, you would never use this character. But this is one of the radicals which are used as part of kanji characters such as tanomoshii. So if you study kanji, you had better learn how to draw this character.

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1. Draw the horizontal stroke on the top.
2. Draw the sweeping dot below the top horizontal stroke.
3. Draw the vertical line to the left.
4. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
5. Draw the upper horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
6. Draw the lower horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
7. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.
8. Draw the sweeping stroke.
9. Draw the dot in the lower right corner of the character.